Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| On a Bed of Rice |
1995 |
Buy |
| Charlie Chan Is Dead 2: At Home in the World |
2004 |
Buy |
| Secret Ingredients |
2007 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Coming Home Again |
1995 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Native Speaker |
1995 |
Buy |
| A Gesture Life |
1999 |
Buy |
| Aloft |
2004 |
Buy |
| The Surrendered |
2009 |
Buy |
| On Such a Full Sea |
2014 |
Buy |
| My Year Abroad |
2021 |
Buy |
| A Tender Age |
2026 |
Buy |
Chang-rae Lee is an American novelist known for literary fiction that explores identity, immigration, and cultural belonging. His debut novel, Native Speaker, won the PEN/Hemingway Award in 1995 and established his reputation for precise, emotionally layered prose. The book follows a Korean American man navigating his fractured identity while working as a corporate spy in New York City.
Lee’s subsequent novels have continued to examine questions of displacement and selfhood. A Gesture Life follows a retired Korean American man in a New York suburb whose composed exterior hides a troubled wartime past. The Surrendered moves between the Korean War and postwar America, while On Such a Full Sea reimagines a future America through a dystopian lens. His most recent novel, A Tender Age, is forthcoming in 2026. Lee has also contributed to several anthologies and published the essay Coming Home Again about family and food.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Chang-rae Lee written?
Chang-rae Lee has written eleven books across three series.
What was Chang-rae Lee's first book?
Chang-rae Lee’s first book is Coming Home Again, published in 1995.
What themes does Chang-rae Lee explore in his writing?
Chang-rae Lee’s novels often explore themes of identity, immigration, cultural displacement, and the American experience. His work examines what it means to belong, drawing on Korean American perspectives and broader questions about assimilation and personal history.